Regular/Temporary

Regular

Job Title

Director, University Advancement Information Technology, Business Intelligence, and Data Strategy

Job ID

72026

Location

Central Campus

Open Date

09/22/2025

Job Type

Continuing

Close Date

10/05/2025

Employee Group

TMG

Favorite Job

Department

UA Advancement Services & Ops

Salary Grade/Band

Band N

Salary Range

$114266.00 - $171398.00 (annual)

Hours per Week

35

Job Description

McMaster University is seeking a dynamic and motivated advancement professional to join our team as Director, University Advancement Information Technology, Business Intelligence and Data Strategy. This pivotal role executes the technology and data strategy that supports fundraising, alumni engagement, stewardship, and operational excellence within McMaster University.

University Advancement (UA) at McMaster University is an integrated department that encompasses the areas of Development, Alumni Engagement, Stewardship, and Advancement Services & Operations, working collaboratively with McMaster’s Faculties and units across campus to build relationships and resources on behalf of the University.

Advancement Services & Operations is a service-oriented and collaborative team that helps enable UA’s mission by providing high-quality, client-focused support and tools to all of our stakeholders in the areas of budgeting/finance; gift processing and biographical records; IT and systems; research and prospect analytics; and administration for the Office of the Vice-President and Advancement team.

This role drives innovation and digital transformation to enhance Advancement’s impact through improved performance, deeper engagement, and data-informed decision-making. Leading a team, including a manager and technical professionals, the Director works cross-functionally with campus partners and University Technology Services (UTS) to align Advancement systems with institutional IT strategy, and to inform enterprise-wide data governance, infrastructure, and digital solutions that influence the broader university ecosystem.

Position Overview:
Reporting to the Managing Director, Advancement Operations and Strategy, the Director UA Information Technology, BI and Data Strategy will be lead and be accountable for:

Strategic Leadership and Planning

• Develop and execute a strategic plan and multi-year roadmap for data, analytics, and technology that supports fundraising campaign readiness, donor engagement, and data infrastructure modernization.
• Evaluate emerging technology trends identifying opportunities to leverage data and technology to enhance donor engagement, prospect development, stewardship and reporting such as strategic use of AI, automation, predictive analytics and machine learning tools.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leaders on data and technology related decisions and investments.
• Collaborate with senior leaders to foster and promote a data-informed decision-making culture.

Information Systems & Business Intelligence

• Oversee the continuous improvement of Advancement’s CRM and other advancement platforms (marketing automation tools, reporting systems, gift processing systems) ensuring systems deliver a competitive advantage and are scalable campus-wide.
• Ensure data integrity, accessibility, and governance across systems through oversight of software configuration standards and data security protocols.
• Direct the design and implementation of advanced reporting tools, dashboards, and analytics to support decision-making.
• Direct the development of metrics and frameworks to evaluate the performance and impact of systems and data strategies to foster continuous improvement and operational excellence. • Oversee system integration, migration and new technology implementations.

Operational Oversight

• Lead the full scope of IT operations, including infrastructure, cybersecurity, vendor management, and procurement, in line with university policies.
• Ensure Advancement data practices comply with institutional policies and external regulations, especially in the areas of donor privacy, consent, and data retention.
• Ensure that robust user support frameworks are maintained, including appropriate escalation procedures, user documentation, and service response standards delivered by direct reports.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate technology and data-related risks across platforms and applications.
• Provide oversight during major system incidents or data security concerns, ensuring coordinated communication and resolution in collaboration with UTS and university risk leaders.
• Oversee budgets, contracts, SLAs, and vendor relationships for Advancement systems, collaborating with central procurement and UTS for enterprise alignment.
• Lead initiatives to ensure CASL Compliance with digital and online fundraising solicitations.
• Ensure PCI-compliant credit card processing systems, monitor spoofed donation pages, cyber donation fraud i.e. fraudulent credit card testing donations and phishing scams to mitigate fraud on donations.

Collaboration and Engagement

• Partner with Advancement leaders, faculties, and campus leaders to align technology solutions with campaign strategies, annual giving, major gifts, and donor stewardship needs.
• Lead efforts to build data literacy and system adoption across Advancement by directing the delivery of user training, resources, and change management support for new systems and tools. • Represent University Advancement in institutional and external professional committees, contributing to enterprise system design, data governance, and university technology strategy.
• Inform policies, guidelines and governance decisions related to data infrastructure, access, and reporting through active participation in cross-functional committees with UTS.
• Direct the development of executive-level reporting and insights to guide decision-making and advancement strategies.

People Leadership

• Lead and mentor a team, including management and professionals, fostering a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and inclusive excellence.
• Ensure effective performance management processes are established and performance issues are addressed proactively.
• Promote succession planning and professional development to align individual growth with strategic departmental goals.
• Champions an inclusive excellence through promoting policies and practices in the areas of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility within the area.

Qualifications and Skills:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field such as statistics, mathematics, computer science, or business analytics.
• Master’s degree in Business, Technology, Engineering, Data Science, Statistics, or a related discipline would be an asset.
• 12+ years of experience in computer science or data science related roles
• 5 years or more in senior leadership position
• Experience in university or health care fundraising, high volume data entity such a banking or another complex environment.

Knowledge/Skills:

• Strong leadership, business relationship management, and team management skills, with a proven record of accomplishment in building, coaching, motivating, and managing analytics and data science teams.
• Experience overseeing information systems departments, promoting process improvement, and implementing fundraising business solutions and software applications such as CRM or other comparable Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system etc.
• Experience handling data migration and the extract, transform, load (ETL) processes.
• Proficiency in cloud analytics, data warehousing, business intelligence tools and platforms and proven experience with database structured query language (SQL), Tableau and Microsoft PowerBI, Azure, system monitoring tools, Version control systems, cloud technologies, data architecture and Databases & Network systems etc.
• Proficient in various scripting languages, such as Python, big data technologies, knowledge of Apache Spark and its component PySpark is valuable.
• Strong understanding of data governance, cybersecurity, and enterprise IT systems.
• Familiar with compliance standards relevant to data security
• Ability to break down complex problems into smaller, manageable parts and analyze them logically is an essential skill.
• In depth understanding of analytics and decision support requirements for both one-to-one relationship management and mass audience marketing, to drive improvement in revenue, engagement, and experience metrics.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Why Join McMaster University? Joining McMaster at this exciting time means becoming part of a vibrant community dedicated to world-class research, an exceptional student experience, and meaningful community engagement. Our advancement team plays a critical role in supporting the university’s ambitious vision, working in partnership with academic and administrative leaders across all campuses. With the support of thousands of alumni and donors who believe in our mission, we are shaping the next generation of leaders and making a significant impact on the world.

As one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, McMaster is committed to advancing inclusive excellence and employment equity in the workplace. We encourage qualified candidates to apply from equity deserving groups such as women, racialized/visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, persons with a disability, persons who identify in the LGBTQ2SIA+ community and others who reflect the diversity of Canadian society.

How To Apply

To apply for this job, please submit your application online.

Employment Equity Statement

McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations and within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.

The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity, and has a strong commitment to employment equity.

The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from indigenous (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

As part of McMaster’s commitment, all applicants are invited to complete a confidential Applicant Diversity Survey through the online application submission process. The Survey questionnaire requests voluntary self-identification in relation to equity-seeking groups that have historically faced and continue to face barriers in employment. Please refer to the Applicant Diversity Survey - Statement of Collection for additional information.

Job applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process should contact:

• Human Resources Service Centre at 905-525-9140 ext. 222-HR (22247), or
• Faculty of Health Sciences HR Office at ext. 22207, or
• School of Graduate Studies at ext. 23679

to communicate accommodation needs.

Hybrid Work Language

To ensure an ongoing and vibrant University community that meets the needs of our students, staff and faculty and supports the University mission, ability to work on-site continues to be a requirement for most University positions. The University is supportive of exploring flexible work arrangements that effectively balance operational needs and employee interests.

Interview Experience

At McMaster University, we believe in a comprehensive and inclusive interview process. Our interview methods encompass a variety of approaches that allow our hiring teams to provide a flexible and accessible experience for engaging with our candidates. Throughout your recruitment process at McMaster, you may be requested to participate in a variety of formats, that may include in-person, virtual or recorded interviews. If you have any questions as you move through the hiring process, please reach out to talent@mcmaster.ca or the HR contact associated with your position of interest.